On this day: December 14

George Washington dies, a spacecraft flies by Venus for the first time, Bob Dylan releases his first single, President George W. Bush ducks flying shoes, and tragedy hits Sandy Hook, all on this day.

13 / 38

Universal Pictures

1979: The comedy "The Jerk," starring Steve Martin, Bernadette Peters, M. Emmet Walsh and Jackie Mason, premieres in theaters. The movie would prove to be a box office hit, earning more than $73 million.